1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a handle assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a handle assembly configured to be mounted to a master gear shaft that is rotationally supported on a reel unit of a spinning reel.
2. Background Information
A spinning reel generally includes a reel unit, a spool, a rotor and a rotation transfer mechanism. The reel unit has a handle assembly and is configured to be mounted to a fishing rod. The spool is mounted to the reel unit such that it can move freely. The fishing line is wound onto the spool. The rotor is rotatably supported on the reel unit. The rotor winds the fishing line onto the spool. The rotation transfer mechanism is configured to transfer a rotation of the handle assembly to the rotor. The rotation transfer mechanism includes a master gear, a master gear shaft on which the master gear is arranged and a pinion gear that meshes with the master gear. The rotor is connected to a frontward part of the pinion gear. The master gear shaft is a cylindrical member in which a non-circular (e.g., rectangular) through hole has been formed.
The handle assembly includes a handle shaft portion, a handle arm and a handle grip. The handle shaft portion is installed from either the right end or the left end of the master gear shaft. The handle arm extends in a radial direction from the handle shaft portion. The handle grip is mounted to a tip end of the handle arm. An external shape of the handle shaft portion is non-circular (e.g., rectangular) so that it is held non-rotatably in the through hole of the master gear shaft. The handle arm is mounted to a tip end of the handle shaft portion such that it can pivot and be folded in toward the reel unit. (See, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 53-130195.)
The handle assembly also includes a screw-threaded member and a movable member. The screw-threaded member is non-rotatably mounted to the tip end of the handle shaft portion. The screw-threaded member has a male threaded section formed on an external circumference thereof. The movable member has a female threaded section on an internal circumference of the movable member. The female threaded section is configured to thread onto the male threaded section. The movable member is configured and arranged to contact a base end part of the handle arm. When fishing, the movable member is put in contact with the base end part of the handle arm such that the pivot motion of the handle arm is restricted and the handle is operated. When the reel is to be stored, the movable member is moved toward the reel unit such that it separates from the base end part of the handle arm, thereby enabling the handle arm to be folded toward the reel unit so as to make the reel more compact as a whole.
The conventional handle assembly described above is provided with the screw-threaded member and the movable member on the tip end of the handle shaft portion such that the handle arm can be folded inwardly toward the reel unit. However, when the movable member contacts the base end part of the handle arm, the male threaded section of the screw-threaded member is exposed to the outside. When the male threaded section is exposed to the outside, seawater, mud, and the like can stick to the male threaded section. This requires additional maintenance time and potentially causes the male threaded section to become damaged due to exposure to a corrosive environment.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved handle assembly that does not expose the male threaded section to the outside. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.